Serena - RUF

Serena Bergfors serves as Campus Staff at Boston University with our denomination's campus ministry, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). This year, BU RUF has been doing their teaching series on the Gospel of Mark. Check out Serena's talk on "Jesus and the Heart of the Law," from this series! Earlier in November, they had a "bring your friend night," and 5 or 6 students brought a roommate or friend with them! Please pray for the large group teaching meetings, as well as the smaller Bible studies during the week--that students would come to know Jesus and be strengthened in their faith through this ministry. Please also pray for Pastor Nathan and interns Sarah and Mitch as they disciple students on campus.

Serena is seeking some end-of-year giving to meet her ministry budget needs for this year. You can support Serena here!

Missions Update

Collin and Zury, a missionary couple we support who visited CTK last September, are campus ministers with RUF in the capital city of a Muslim-majority country in West Africa. The most recent magazine from our denomination’s overseas mission agency (Mission to the World, or MTW), has an article on the West Africa team which describes the area’s religious culture. The article (p. 12–15) highlights the major growth of Christianity and Islam on the continent and the importance of openness, welcome, and a holistic presentation of the gospel among the Wolof people of the area. Check it out here, including the picture of Collin with his co-workers on page 13!

Thankfully, the university at which Collin and Zury serve re-opened after some political turmoil, so please continue to pray for their connections with students there.

Missions Update

Collin and Zury, a missionary couple we support, have been working since 2019 with college students in a major city in a Muslim-majority West African country (unnamed here, for their security). Along with their local co-workers, Sebastian and Angèle, they have established a branch of RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) at the university, and they had their first retreat this past May!

This Sunday, September 24, they will visit CTK to describe their ministry during the Adult Ed hour (9:15am-10:15am) in the Fellowship Hall, as well as make a brief announcement in the worship service and visit with us during the coffee hour afterward. Please come to hear from them, as you are able!

Missions Update

This week, let's pray for Matt and Jenn Irvine. The Irvines work in London among South Asian immigrants, who are often Jain or Hindu. They serve at a congregation called New Life Suwarta Sungat, a name which intentionally combines English words with Gujarati script to illustrate the way the gospel is available to all, across cultural differences. The Irvines ask for prayer that God raise up more church leaders from among the Indian immigrants. One strong, supportive family that had recently converted to Christianity has had to move away, so we can pray that that couple will be witnesses to Christ in their new location. We can also pray for New Life's leaders, as they decide now best to plan church gatherings in light of the pandemic.

Turneau Update

The Turneau family (working in Prague, Czech Republic) is in need of prayer. The Czech government has (on very short notice) informed the university where Ted teaches that its students must go through an extensive exam process to ensure the education meets government standards. The process will be very expensive for students, and Ted feels that their school has been unfairly singled out. So he asks for prayer that the institution will be able to make it through. Tedd and Carolyn also ask for prayer for the country, which has seen a spike in COVID cases, and that they will still be able to travel to their daughter's wedding in California in a few weeks.

Matt Irvine

TONIGHT: Join us this evening (9/17) for a Zoom meeting with Matt Irvine, a CTK-supported missionary to London. We will meet from 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom. Matt will describe his family's work, and will take any questions we have. Unfortunately, this is the only opportunity we will have to connect with Matt. Last minute, he was informed that his insurance would not cover COVID care were he to travel, so we will not be meeting with him in person on September 28.

Missions Update

Dana and Sibongile Mahan work in Christian higher education in South Africa, and have been supported by CTK for 15 years. Hear about their work and prayer requests in this video. Note, please do not share this video link for safety reasons for the Mahans.

Missions Update and Prayer Requests

Carolyn and Ted Turneau are both teachers in Prague, Czech Republic. Ted teaches at Anglo-American University, and Carolyn teaches Christian International School of Prague. They intended to travel to the US this summer, but they remain in Prague due to the pandemic.

On July 18-25, they will be teaching in their church’s English camp—pray that the many high-school and college students who attend will be receptive to the scriptural messages they will hear in the course of the week. Ted will also be giving a talk on “Doubt” at a meeting for skeptical teens in August. Carolyn is redesigning her 9th and 10th grade Bible curriculum for the fall. As the pandemic affects enrollment, pray that their respective schools will remain in operation, and pray for the students affected by their parents’ job losses.

The Turneaus also ask for prayer for their children. Claire has had to postpone her wedding until January, and the school she had planned to attend has closed down. Pray also for Ruth and Roger, as they continue their own studies.

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